Barcelona still owe almost £140m in transfer fees including £36.5m to Leeds

BARCELONA’S latest financial report shows the club have racked up over £138million in transfer debt

The Spanish giants have managed to accumulate a £100m increase in their debt which stood at a much smaller sum of £39m last season.

The LaLiga side released the report on Monday raising concerns over the club’s future.

The staggering increase in debt reportedly came from the £130m price for signing high-profile stars Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde, in the summer 2022 transfer window.

Less than half the total debt has been paid back and the Catalans still owe Championship side Leeds £36.5m for the signing of Raphinha.

The Brazilian caught the attention of top clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal after ending the 2021/22 season as Leeds top goalscorer.

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He favoured a move to Spain and finalised a deal with Barca for around £55m, despite the clubs already frayed financial situation.

The No11 was first presented without a name or number on his shirt due to the club having too many players to make new signings, forcing them to sell players to make room for Raphinha.

Hansi Flick’s side owe money everywhere from the Premier League to the Bundesliga but the main worry is how much they owe for players who no longer play for them.

Despite selling Vitor Roque to Palmeiras for £22m last year, Barca still owe Athletico Paranaense £15m of the fee they paid for him in 2022.

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The five-time European Cup winners have been ordered to pay £121m of the total debt by the end of the season to stay afloat.

They’ve also been advised to sell their high-profile players and invest more time in their youth academy to prevent the situation from worsening.

Concerns have also grown around the development of Camp Nou and how it’s plunging them further into financial crisis. The delay in opening has led to a drop in match revenue and a large increase in ticket prices.

However, Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes the club is heading in the right direction: “We are much better off than we were four and a half years ago.

“Some of the statements surprise me – everything can be improved. But today we are much better off than when we arrived,” he said.